News
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The Scarborough challenge
Last July, the Arbitration Tribunal in the Hague ruled that the waters around Scarborough Shoal lay within the Economic Exclusive Zone of the Philippines and that Filipino fishermen possessed traditional fishing rights at the Shoal. China has chosen to reject the decision and continues to keep Filipino fishermen out of the area. A think tank, the CSSI, recently reported: “…
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Obama Puts South China Sea Back on Agenda at Summit
VIENTIANE, Laos — President Barack Obama put the long-simmering dispute in the South China Sea front and center on the agenda at a regional summit Thursday as it became clear that most of the other leaders gathered in the Laotian capital were going to let China off with a mild rebuke over its territorial expansion in the resource-rich waters. “We…
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South China Sea: China building more islands?
The Philippines military this week released images of Chinese ships it said were capable of dredging sand around the Scarborough Shoal — a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles (200 kilometers) west from the Philippine island of Luzon. Beijing has denied it is reclaiming land, saying that while Chinese coast guard vessels patrol the waters around…
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US official defends China over PH claim of new island-building
ALARMING PRESENCE Chinese vessels are gathering at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, raising fears that China is building another artificial island just off Luzon. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE A US official said the United States had not detected any unusual Chinese presence and activity around Scarborough Shoal despite photos presented by the Philippines showing Chinese vessels at the site. The Chinese vessels…
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Vietnam is struggling to unite its Mekong neighbours against China
Vietnam moved rocket launchers into disputed territory in the South China Sea, reports recently suggested, meaning it could potentially attack land that China has controversially reclaimed. This all comes at a time of heightened tension over territorial wrangling in the region. A Pentagon report released in May 2016 described how China had reclaimed 3,200 acres of land in the disputed…
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Why China’s ‘Bully’ Strategy in the South China Sea (and Beyond) Has Failed
Conventional wisdom has long painted the Chinese as strategic and methodical planners, masters of statecraft with great foresight. The West, and the US in particular, is hopeless in comparison. For many strategists, we aren’t even on the same board: Chinese are playing Go while the West plays checkers. It’s time to put that shibboleth aside. After misjudging the balance of…
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‘Threat or use of force’ to resolve South China Sea dispute will complicate matters: PM Modi
Vientiane: Terming sea lanes passing through the strategic South China Sea as the “main arteries” of global trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India supports freedom of navigation as he sought “utmost respect” for international law, amid China’s muscle flexing in the region. While outlining India’s principled position on the raging issue over the South China Sea, the…
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Is the playing down of arbitration ruling a boon or bane for PHL?
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), at a recently-concluded summit in Vientiane, Laos, was again silent about the July 12 landmark ruling of a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal that favored the Philippines and rejected China’s excessive claim over the South China Sea. It was an expected move because China, which exercises clout and influence among some ASEAN members,…
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China Building on Scarborough Shoal? Don’t Hold Your Breath.
For diplomatic and strategic reasons, now is not the time for Beijing to make such a risky move. For over six months now, speculation has been rampant that China is gearing up to begin land reclamation (or, more accurately, island building) at Scarborough Shoal, a disputed feature in the South China Sea roughly 355 km west of Manila. In March,…
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Industry must prepare for the worst in South China Sea
Tense relations between China and the United States in the South China Sea have the potential to spawn an international crisis that threatens assets, shipping and supply chains, and the safety of employees. http://www.joc.com/maritime-news/industry-must-prepare-worst-south-china-sea_20160908.html
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Experts find new solutions to South China Sea dispute
With prevailing international legal measures producing stalemate and tension in the South China Sea (SCS), ASEAN and Indonesian experts are looking for innovative solutions to reach stable peace in the disputed waters. Many regional and global options were discussed during the 2nd High Level International Workshop on Thursday, but particular attention was given to a proposal by Donald Rothwell, head…
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Philippines plans 14% defense budget rise to beef up maritime security, fight rebels
VIENTIANE – The Philippines is proposing a 14 percent increase in defense spending next year to buy new ships and aircraft to boost its fight against Islamist militants and enhance maritime security in the disputed South China Sea. According to internal documents seen by Reuters on Monday, about 130 billion pesos ($2.8 billion) or 96 percent of the proposed defense…